Carry 'Em With You
by frozenhands
Summary: Clem, AJ, and Violet are welcomed with open arms into a new community that may be able to help them find the remains of their group.
1. Chapter 1

The wounds Clementine and AJ bare are not from the walking dead, but from the living.

In a world where the dead roam the Earth in a greater number than the living, it is the ones who live that are at war.

* * *

Clementine crouches behind a tree, letting her gaze slowly peak from behind cover, before spotting the walker in the near distance. Running, she slams the knife into the walker's head, its blood splattering on her hands, and grunts as she pulls her knife out and lets the walker fall to the ground. Lips pursed, eyes alert, she looks around her field of vision, a ten year old boy behind the tree next to her. He emerges pointing his gun, frantically shifting his weight to search for any threat.

Clementine places her hand firmly on the gun, lowers his hand. "We're safe."

They reach a clearing in the woods.

"I was hoping to find someone here."

AJ's jaw is set tight. His eyebrows are pulled together and he lowers himself onto the ground, looking at his feet. "They're all dead."

"Don't say that," Clementine warns. "We need to go hunting. Get some food. You stay with me. We don't split up."

"We'll find more food if we split up."

"Well, you aren't the one calling the shots, and you're still too little," she tosses back at him. She knows why he's mad. They've for sure lost some people and they don't know who's left. But she's still got to teach him.

"Fine."

"No more talking."

They catch a rabbit that AJ shot and a squirrel that Clem shot and start back towards their clearing, carving into the corpses. Clem skins them while AJ gathers tinder and kindling and branches and begins building. He starts a small fire and Clem gathers around and cooks the dead animals. "Looks like we'll have a good meal. Good job, AJ."

"You did good, too."

"Nice job on the fire." She lifts her head and checks that they're still alone before going back to cooking. "We need to go scavenging for supplies. We lost almost everything in the fight."

"Didn't lose our guns," AJ says.

Clementine nods. "Good point. Literally."

He giggles and Clem lets a small smile spread across her face.

They're quiet as they eat, ravenous. Focused on only one thing in that moment. Filling their starving bellies.

...

"Get some sleep, buddy," Clem says softly as they settle down on the grass after Clem tells AJ a story.

"I don't want to sleep," he crosses his arms, but lies down anyway and turns on his side facing Clementine. "I don't want to have nightmares."

"I'm right here. If you have a nightmare, I'll wake you up."

He nods. Clem watches him for a moment until his eyes finally drift closed. She lies back next to him and she can feel her eyes threatening to close, but she's adept at keeping sleep away. She looks up at the clear sky, the stars out, and searches for the knife constellation.

She needs to sleep. Despite her resistance, opening her eyes every time they droop closed, she finds them gluing shut and staying shut. It is then like she is being pulled down through quicksand.

It grips hold of her and pulls her under. Her body is in a cold sweat.

She experiences the dream as if she is underwater, struggling to reach the top.

She turned her head and watched as a walker chomped into Aasim's face, tearing it off until he was unrecognizable. Louis screamed and threw himself on to Aasim, shoving off the walker, his scream of horror throbbing against Clem's eardrums. "Aasim!"

_Louis._

_Louis, no._

_Don't die. Keep moving._

_Brody. Marlon. Omar. Mitch._

_Aasim._

_Ghosts._

Clem set her jaw and froze for a moment, looking back at Louis, but she couldn't stop for long. The walkers closed in on Louis and the last they saw of Louis was him rearing back and putting a knife in the walker's head before he disappeared behind a pack of walkers. AJ was staring at Clem in shock, watching her for what to do. Fear settled in the pit of her stomach but she staggered along, she kept moving, hearing a soft growling behind her. Louis would find a way out. They'd been in worse situations. She forced herself to breathe steadily, taking in a slow breath. As many times as she had covered herself in walker guts to get through a herd, she couldn't get used to it. It never got easier, hearing the growling walkers in your ear and knowing that one wrong move and you were dead. She had to keep going for AJ. He lurched ahead slightly in front of her, concealed among the walkers.

Startling awake, Clementine hears growling and Violet slants over Clementine, trying to wake her.

_Violet._

Violet's face appears underwater above her before Vi looks off in another direction and pulls herself to her feet.

"Clem. Walkers!" Her mouth is open, hair swinging from side to side as she looks back and forth.

Clem's eyes shoot open and she jumps to her feet, grabbing for her knife, awake now. Her blood is pumping and her eyes search for AJ. "AJ!" she screams. He is already up, gun in hand, pointing towards the small herd and shooting. They have no choice. The noise may draw more walkers. But they have no choice.

Violet swings her meat cleaver into a walker's brain as Clem digs her knife into the head of one approaching AJ. They look around, checking behind them. Four walkers stagger towards them. Clem attacks the first one but loses her footing, landing on the ground with the walker on top of her. She grunts, pressing furiously with all her adrenaline induced rage to keep the walker's head away from her. She rolls the walker off and stabs it in the temple, pulls her knife away, panting.

Her panic does not slow her down but fuels her to take down the next walker, her pulse pounding in her ears as it falls to the ground. AJ fires and shoots the last one right in the head and it drops to the ground, quiet finally wrapping around the field as the three look at each other and Clem rushes over to hug Violet.

"You're okay," Violet says.

"Yeah. We are." Clementine squeezes her eyes shut as they hug tightly. Violet wraps Clem in her arms and they kiss gently. "Did anyone else make it?"

Violet shakes her head, kisses Clem again before pulling away. "I don't know. I didn't see where Louis went. He escaped but the walkers followed close behind him. I've just been out wandering alone."

Clem nods, setting her hand on AJ's back. "Us too."

"Hey, buddy," Violet says to AJ.

"Hey." Violet walks over to hug AJ.

"Have you eaten?" Clementine asks. "We have some meat."

"Not since yesterday. I found an old shed north of here. Has some food. Not much. A blanket. I saw a few can of beans. I ate one. Some walkers came so I left."

"Without the food?" AJ cuts in.

"It was a lot of walkers."

"AJ and I ate good last night, right?" Clem turns to AJ. "We caught some animals. Come eat with us." She smiles.

They all sit down in a circle on the ground and quietly eat their small portion of meat, trying to savor it but finding themselves devouring each morsel until it's gone and their hungry stomachs ache, wanting more.

But they are used to this. They are used to the hunger.

"We should check out that shed. Clear it out," Clementine says.

"I don't know," Violet says. "That place could be filled with walkers by now."

"We can take them. Right, AJ?"

"Right."

Violet takes a breath. "Okay."

When they reach the shed, someone's already cleared them out.

They hesitate.

Clementine steps protectively in front of AJ. She grips the doorknob and throws open the door, aiming her gun. Violet has her meat cleaver and AJ has his own gun ready to fire.

A pregnant lady sits on the bed, digging into a can of beans.

"Shit," she curses, and her body recoils from them. She holds her hands up slowly, speaks calmly. "My name is Charlotte. Take the food. There's plenty for all of us."

"We don't want a fight," Clementine says. "We just want a place to stay the night."

"Well you're welcome to come back to my community. Probably better than this little shed? The food will run out. Just a few cans. As long as you don't tell anyone about this incident, I'll take you back to my place."

"Your place?"

"Yes. You guys got names?"

"Clementine."

"Violet."

"Are you armed?" Clem asks.

"I could be," the woman shoots back. She pulls out a pistol from behind her and sets it down on the floor. "I'm not lookin' for a fight either, Clementine. Just need to eat. Just like you. I'm four months pregnant. I'm weaker than I want to be. I'm hungry. My community's a nice place. We have strong walls, food, a doctor. We call ourselves Brighid."

Clementine lowers her gun. "Brighid? Why?"

"The name of the goddess means strength. We're a bit different than you might imagine, but if you can accept that, you can come back to our place. We practice witchcraft, nothing bad, no curses, just some protection spells; herbs; rituals. Like I said, nothing like you'd imagine."

"...That's... different," Clem offers. She turns towards the hardened boy, who stands with his lips pursed, gun lowered. "This is AJ. We've...been through a lot." Clem is looking at the woman strangely, but oddly enough, she doesn't not trust her.

"Yeah, I guess we all have."

"No offense, but every community I've been to has fallen apart. We're looking for our group. We were attacked by a herd. Covered ourselves in their guts. But we were attacked by humans first. Can you help us?"

Charlotte eyes Clementine's hand, looks at the missing third finger before looking back at Clem's face.

"What have you guys been through?"

"What has your group been through?" Clem challenges.

Charlotte and Clem stare each other down, neither one blinking. Charlotte is a muscular, strong, yet gentle, green eyed woman, maybe 30, pretty, with long auburn hair down to the middle of her back.

"We've been through a lot. We aren't new to this."

"And neither are we," Charlotte responds. "You're safe with us, Clementine. Let's go back and talk to my group. You'll receive a warm welcome."

Clem turns to Violet. "What do you think?"

"It's weird. I don't know...you think we should go?"

"Yeah... She seems okay. AJ?"

"I don't trust her." He stares at Charlotte.

Clementine sets her hand on AJ's shoulder and looks to the woman. _I know, buddy. I know. _"AJ, I think we should check this place out, okay? I'm right here with you. No one's splitting us up."

"You three will stay together. Don't worry," Charlotte reassures. "If you accept my offer, you'll have your own _house._ A bedroom, a fully stocked kitchen, a bathroom with running water."

Clementine and Violet look at each other before Clem says, "We'll meet your group."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes**: If Wicca or witchcraft is not something you're into/open to, you might want to look away. I can't promise these OCs will stick around, but if I become attached (which I already sort of am) to them, and you guys do, they could.

* * *

They make their way to Charlotte's community, the earth crunching underneath their feet. It's about a two hour walk before Charlotte says they're almost there. Charlotte is miles out, and Clem wonders what kind of place this could be if they have a pregnant woman go out scouting by herself. Nonetheless, Charlotte continues on, keeps up with the three of them, and doesn't seem to be slowed down a bit.

"We're keeping our weapons," Clem warns Charlotte.

"And we don't know that we're staying," Violet adds.

Charlotte eyes her. "Fair enough. We will have weapons."

AJ nudges Clementine. "What is witchcraft?"

She pauses. "I think we're gonna find out, kiddo. Whatever it is, she says it's good. That's all we have to go off of right now."

Alvin Junior sighs. "I don't like this."

All groups - communities, at that - come with their problems, and Clem hasn't even met this one and is skeptical about what she's heard. Witchcraft? She knows very little about the subject, for one thing, besides of what she read in history books and a few books in elementary school and she doesn't know anything about their specific practices, didn't know there were different types of... witches.

They cross through an abundant area of trees until they see gated walls and take in the large circle drawn out of dirt in an open area of their community, surrounded by house after house, and a little area where there appears to be crops.

"I told you we're nothing like you'd imagine," Charlotte says. "Sisters and brothers," Charlotte calls out, her voice warm and loud, as a woman with dark hair and a black robe lets open the gate. "We welcome Clementine, Violet, and AJ into our community. Please let them feel at home and remember when you were new. They come as visitors, but we will treat them as our own, as long as they extend the same courtesy to us," she adds, glancing over at Clementine and Violet and smiling.

"Merry Meet," an elderly woman greets them, with long, flowing greyish-white hair.

"Merry Meet," a small child, maybe five years old, says as they walk along a pathway across their community. Clementine swallows.

"Hi," Violet and Clementine say hesitantly.

AJ stays close to Clem and Violet and doesn't wander. His face is turned in suspicion.

"Why do you say that?" AJ asks the girl.

"It's our greeting. It just means it's good to meet you," the little girl says before Clem nods and they continue on, following Charlotte.

"We started as a small gathering at the local Unitarian Universalist church before everything happened," Charlotte explains. "We kill walkers just as you do. We don't view them as having souls, and we don't hesitate to kill them. We are not adverse to killing humans that are an imminent threat to us, but that is rarely needed and we look at all life as sacred. We bury our enemies when we can. We've had few confrontations, but there was a bad time. We lost many."

Violet nods. "We had a run-in with goddamn psychopaths," she says. "They captured some of us and we had to get them back. We lost our friend, Omar, when the bomb went off. Everyone else made it. Until the rest of Delta came back for us. We had a large herd sent for them, bigger than you'd believe, and we walked through covered in their guts. We...lost a few more friends... And we need to get back to our people. There might be some alive."

Clementine grasps Violet's hand. Violet squeezes, feeling the warmth from her hand despite the cold night air brushing against their skin.

Charlotte listens with sympathy. "We hope for an end to the war, and for a solution to the inevitable condition."

"Who knows if that'll ever happen," Violet says.

"Where are you taking us?" AJ asks.

"You'll stay in one of our empty houses for the night. We'll get you out of the cold. You'll have beds and blankets. You're free to do as you please. Eat, take a shower, this is your house as long as you're our guests. We'll talk formally tomorrow - introduce you to our community." Charlotte leads them to a modest, purple house and Clementine nods.

"Thank you," Clem says. "We appreciate it."

"Yeah, thanks," Vi says.

"How do you have all these things?" AJ asks.

Charlotte smiles. "We have generators and a turbine. There are walkie talkies in the house if you need to communicate with us. The phone isn't hooked up yet. We'll talk tomorrow. Sleep well."

"Thanks..." AJ says.

Charlotte nods and walks away, leaving them to step up the front porch and look out at the community.

"What do you think, AJ?" Clem asks.

"It's...really cool," he says, his eyes sweeping across the neighborhood. Like an ordinary neighborhood before everything happened.

"Yeah, it is," Violet says.

They are in awe as they unlock the door, having been given a key, and walk inside the house. The light in the living room is already on, a spacious living room with a large adjoining kitchen. Clem swallows. "Wow, this is..."

"Holy shit," Violet says.

"Yeah. Let's... check it out."

"We should check for walkers," AJ says. "Front door and those windows are the way out," he points.

"Right."

Although Clementine trusts Charlotte, she doesn't let her guard down. They are still on alert for walkers or people. They make their way through each room of the house, each closet, the bathroom, the two bedrooms, the closets in the bedrooms. Nothing. Empty.

Safe?

"They didn't even ask for our weapons," Violet says. "Didn't even ask to see them."

"Yeah, I know. This is...different."

"Different's one way of putting it. This is fucking weird. But I like it. It's like pre-apocalyptic paradise. But all places have their problems."

"Right, we have to be on alert. Let's get some sleep tonight and meet their group tomorrow." Clem takes in a deep breath, lets it out.

"I don't want to sleep in there," AJ says, turned towards one of the bedrooms.

"We won't split up," Clementine says. "We'll sleep in the living room floor with blankets."

Violet nods, still in awe, not sure what to feel. "Sounds good."

On one of the bedroom walls, as they are retrieving covers, is taped a handwritten message.

_"Bide the Wiccan law ye must,_

_In perfect love and perfect trust._

_Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:_

_An' ye harm none, do what ye will._

_What ye send forth comes back to thee:_

_So ever mind the law of three._

_Follow this with mind and heart,_

_Merry ye meet, and merry ye part."_

"That's what they were saying. Merry Meet," AJ says.

Violet looks at the writing and says, "Wow, these people are serious."

Clementine feels dizzy as she reads and shakes her head. "Let's just get some sleep."

They pad the carpet down with several comforters and blankets from the bedrooms, and the three of them lie down on the blankets, feeling the need to keep close to each other. They sleep, but it is not restful.

That is their normal.

Clementine wakes in a cold sweat, and Violet throws an arm around her, knowing she's had the nightmare again.

Clem checks AJ, making sure she didn't wake him, and finds him sleeping soundly. She exhales slowly.

"What do you think, Vi? Is this crazy?" Clementine asks when she steadies her breathing and turns on her side, facing Violet.

"Kind of, but so what? They seem nice. But I don't really know if we can trust them."

"I feel the same way," Clementine says. "But I trust Charlotte. Do you?"

"Maybe," Violet admits.

They fall back asleep holding each other, AJ pressed against Clementine's back.

In a house that by all appearances is normal, like before the world turned to shit, they are huddled together, scared to death to separate. They are all each other has.


	3. Chapter 3

When they wake, the sun slants through the curtains, and Clementine wakes first, squinting against the light. By instinct, she wanders around the house and double checks that there are no walkers, or people. Closet doors are opened and shut. Hallways have feet wander to and fro. Eventually, Clem wanders into the kitchen and opens the refrigerator for the first time.

She checks out the food.

It's fully stocked, just as Charlotte had promised.

Dairy of all kinds, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt; bread; meat; vegetables and fruit; desserts. She looks as if she is looking through it and shuts the door. She is scrambling eggs, using her common sense to lead her to use the stove. She cracks the eggs and dumps the yolk into the bowl the way her mother had done many years ago; she begins to beat the eggs. She pours the eggs with butter onto a skillet and begins to scramble the eggs as they form. When the eggs are scrambled, she pulls them from the heat and chops up cheese to add to the eggs, with salt and pepper.

AJ wanders bleary eyed into the kitchen and squints from the light. "What are you doing, Clem?"

"Making breakfast," she tells him. "Do you want to make the coffee?"

He says yes and wanders over to the coffee pot and stares at it, dumbfounded. "How do I use it?"

Clem has to walk over to figure it out, it's been so long. "Well, it looks like water goes in here," she points, "and coffee grounds go in here... which are over here..." she adds, pulling the container of coffee grounds towards the coffee pot and showing him what to do. He proceeds to do it, exactly the way she says.

"Press the 'on' button and I think it just makes it," Clementine says.

"It does," Violet says, walking into the kitchen. "That's right," she says to AJ as Clementine grabs three plates and serves the eggs onto each plate.

They sit around the kitchen bar table and dig into their eggs like animals ripping into a fresh kill. Their stomachs are starving and they are acting purely on instinct, barely chewing their food.

AJ sips his coffee as the eggs settle in his stomach, his plate empty, stomach happy and filled.

"Can we stay here, Clem?"

"I dunno, buddy. We're meeting their group this morning."

"I think they're nice. I like them."

"Oh yeah? Not what you were saying yesterday," she tickles him, and he giggles and pulls away.

"Well this is really cool," he confesses. "I didn't trust them at first... but Charlotte was nice. And that woman. And the girl," he remembers. "They trusted us."

"Yeah, they did," Clementine says. She looks toward the front door. No one approaches. They are alone; they might even be safe.

"I feel like we're on another _planet_," AJ says with excitement, and Clementine and Violet laugh, but yeah. They do, too.

"Can I go check out the house?"

"Yeah, sure, kiddo. Go for it."

As AJ leaves the room, Violet turns her gaze towards Clem, serious. "You have your gun?"

"I've got it. You got your meat cleaver?"

"Yep, got it."

"Good. I don't know what to expect this morning."

"Me neither," Violet says, and chews on her lip. "Clem, I haven't had scrambled eggs since my grandma used to make them... this is... it was good."

"Yeah it was. Look at the fridge. There's everything in there. I don't know how they keep this up."

Violet laughs in spite of herself as she jumps down off the bar stool and opens and closes the fridge. "Holy shit. _Holy shit_."

She hops back up to her chair and leans in, pressing her face close to Clem's and closing the distance between them, meeting her lips with hers. Clem brings her hand up to rub Violet's shoulder as Violet runs her fingers through Clem's short hair. Violet drops her head against Clem's neck and Clem pulls her tight against her, wrapping her arms fully around her in an embrace, as if they are trying to hold onto this moment, despite, perhaps, their better judgment.

"Clem, they have clothes for us," AJ says when he comes back. Violet and Clem pull away.

"What?" Clementine says, shocked. She swallows hard and follows him into the bedroom where he opens the drawers and shows her the clothes, all around their sizes.

"Clem," Violet says in warning, her tone suspicious.

"I know. AJ, why don't you go get your shower? Take some clothes with you and change into them when you're done."

He nods, leaves the room. "I love it here," he says before he leaves.

Clementine lets AJ in the bathroom first and he bathes himself, scrubbing all the dirt off like Clem said. It's not the first bath he's had, but it's one of maybe a couple handfuls. He drips water onto the floor and Clem soaks it up with a towel and tells AJ how to get out without splashing water everywhere, by starting with drying off in the tub and staying on the mat until he's dry. She gets in the shower next. After Violet has her shower, and they're all clean and have put on the clothes that have obviously been carefully selected for them prior to their stay, all provided fresh underwear, Clementine a pair of jeans and the choice of a black blouse or T-shirt, of which she chooses the T-shirt, and Violet the same, and AJ a pair of jeans and a grey T-shirt that fits him loosely.

They all vacate the house and step down off the front porch, looking at the community of people doing various jobs. Some on lookout for walkers, others mending crops, and then others in discussion near the circle drawn in dirt.

The three walk towards the circle, where they find Charlotte.

She hands them each a loaded gun. They take them. "Good morning. Just some extra weapons. How did you sleep?"

"Good! We had eggs," AJ says.

"Well I'm happy to hear that. I hope your sisters feel the same way."

"They're not my sisters," AJ interrupts.

"Pardon me," Charlotte says. "Your friends?"

"Clem is like my mom... Violet is my friend."

"I see," Charlotte glances at each of the three.

"We slept well, thank you for letting us stay there, it was good," Violet says rather uncharacteristically, tucking the gun into her pocket.

"We're ready to meet your people," Clementine finally says, still taking in her surroundings. Many people in plain shirts, some in colorful dresses, others dressed casually and clothes appearing somewhat dirty.

How did they have the house stocked with clothes that fit them before even knowing they were coming? How did they know? Have they been watching them?

"You have read the plaque," Charlotte observes.

"...yeah," Clementine says. "What does it mean?"

"You know about karma?"

"Sure."

"Anything you do positive or negative will be returned to you threefold, or something like that," Charlotte throws in. "We don't all believe the "threefold" rule, we are not all religious, but we all believe that the energy we give out will return to us. We all believe that life is sacred."

"The Wicca Rede," Clementine says. "Never heard of it before, so sorry if we're kind of standoffish... We don't know what to expect."

"Nothing but a welcome ritual, but only if that's okay with you. If you decline, nothing will be done, but my people will treat you fairly. You are welcome here, Clementine. All of you are. We have already discussed it."

"How did you... Have you been following us?" Clementine stares at her.

Charlotte nods her head as if expecting the question. "We saw you during an attack of walkers back at the clearing. We were in the woods, fighting off the larger herd. We saw that you had it under control, and we left. I went to the nearby shed where I knew there was food, and warned my people about you. We thought maybe we'd run into you. Which I did." She smiles.

"You heard me talking about the shed," Violet says, and pulls her eyebrows together, suspicious.

"I'm sorry for not approaching. We have had bad experiences, just as you have."

Clementine purses her lips, stares at Charlotte, steps in front of AJ with a hand on his shoulder. "I will kill anyone that tries to hurt us," she warns.

"Clementine," Charlotte says calmly. "Please, just see the ritual."

"I kinda wanna see this welcome ritual," Violet says.

"What's a ritual?" AJ asks.

Charlotte explains all the technicalities and gathers maybe one-fourth of her people to assemble around the circle. One by one they take their position, until they are all seated on the Earth and the three remaining are awaiting their welcome.

"Please join us. This is really fun, that's all it's meant to be. We invite you to dance with us," the elderly woman, perhaps the only they've seen here so far, says.

Charlotte retrieves an athame from her pocket, like a sharp knife, and makes a symbol in the air. They don't know what it means.

The elderly woman, later they find out named Diana, proceeds and lights what they call sage. Some of them close their eyes and hold their hands up in the air, as if feeling something invisible to Clem, Violet, and AJ. They appear to be meditating.

"I cleanse thee, burning sage, as a representation of the Element of Air. May your essence bless us and bring your clarity to our circle, so mote it be."

"So mote it be," the circle repeats. They do the same with Earth, Fire, and Water. The flame representing fire, the bowl of water representing water, the dirt underneath their feet of which they pull up a pile and stuff into a little bowl, representing Earth.

"Who approaches this sacred place?" asks Diana.

Everyone looks to Clementine and Clem says, "Clementine."

Diana makes a symbol over her head and allows her entrance into the circle, and Clem shrinks back in shock but takes her place, and Diana does the same with Violet and AJ.

"All we ask is that you follow us around the circle. No formal ritual is involved, and you are not under any oath. We greet you as our guests," Diana says. "Please take hands. The god and goddess know of no war. All will be cleansed under their names. This age, too, will end, and all will begin again, anew."

They start around the circle, some skipping, some dancing, some walking, and they increase their pace very gradually until they are running, others dancing.

Clementine, AJ, and Violet twirl around the circle until they lose their sense of reality. Everything they've ever known. They feel something they didn't know in the air around them; something calm, something quiet among all the noise. It pulls them in and envelops them like a warm blanket. And then begins the chant:

_"Circle, beginning... ending..._

_Circle... Circle... Beginning... Ending..._

_We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning, _

_And never ending._

_We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning, _

_And never ending."_

And on and on and on and on.

Some of the women and men clap their hands as they sing, some sway their shoulders, all holding hands. AJ is in the middle and holds the hands of Clem and Violet, who hold hands with strangers.

They do not sing, but their eyes involuntarily fall shut as the chant continues, and continues. Their eyes open periodically to check for walkers, to check for threats. The attention this is drawing concerns them.

At the end, the members say, "Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again!"

One after the other they rotate and one member leaves the circle at a time until all members have left the circle.

And they continue on with their duties.

Some go on watch. Others tend to crops. Others go inside their houses.

Clem, Violet, and AJ stand dumbfounded next to Charlotte.

"Why?" is all Violet can get out. "Why, in all this?"

"Because it's the Truth," Charlotte says. "It's our Truth. And if it is not yours, that we accept too."

"We can stay here?" AJ asks.

"Yes," Charlotte says simply.

"There's no catch?" Violet asks.

"Charlotte, I don't know. We've been through a lot. I just have...questions."

"And I'll answer your questions," Charlotte agrees.

"Do you scavenge? Do all of you kill walkers, or just you?"

"All of us are trained to kill the dead," she responds. "Even the children. We see that you have been through a lot. You're not the same as us, but at the same time, you are."

"Can you speak in human?" Violet mocks. "No offense."

Charlotte just smiles, but says nothing.

Finally, she penetrates Clementine's nervous silence, "We all have different jobs, but we rotate. So that everyone is trained in all the jobs. We scavenge, we hunt, we kill, we patrol."

AJ's head shoots up. "I patrol."

"That sounds like an excellent job for you," Charlotte responds.

Violet speaks up. "I was never really religious, so this is weird."

"And you need not be religious," Charlotte says. "Many of us aren't. It's ritual. Tell me, did you feel the energy?"

Violet and Clem look at each other, uncertain. "I don't know. It was relaxing," Clem offers.

Charlotte smiles. "That's enough for us. I see you showered and put on your clothes. How do you feel?"

"Like, really clean," Violet says.

"Awesome!" AJ answers.

Charlotte and Clementine are staring at each other. "I feel like you've been watching us," Clementine mutters darkly.

"We only saw you that one time. Clementine," she extends her hand, "we'll help you find your group. We could use your help as well. All three of you. As for what we've been through, that's over, but we can discuss it sometime later." Clementine takes her hand reluctantly and they shake hands.

"I'm patrol and lookout," AJ says. "I'm a good shot too."

"He is," Clementine says hesitantly, looking around at her little group. "We all are."

"So you will help us?"

Clementine and Violet look at each other before Clem says, "We'll help you. But I don't understand what you are. What this is."

"We are a nature based religion-practice," she finally explains. "Some of us choose to include the goddess and god, others look at the god and goddess as nature. In other words, some of us look at nature as God and some of us don't. We know what nature is. It's life. Death. Rebirth. Nothing lasts, but nothing ends. It's like the change of the seasons."

Clem nods, slowly. "That... sort of makes sense. The circle of life," she finally says.

"But why do all this? What's the point? Are you some kind of cult?" Violet asks.

"No, not at all. You're free to come and go as you please. You find your own point," Charlotte says. "I can't tell you the path, I can only lead you there." She holds her stomach and raises her chin slightly in the air. "We could use you all on lookout today. The dead wander near."


End file.
